Protect // ColabThursday

You cannot protect yourself from sadness

Without protecting yourself from Happiness 

For a long while I would have said I was well equipped at protecting myself from getting hurt.  I would avoid doing things for fear of failure, I wouldn't allow myself to be too happy as it would end in tears, I had a pull yourself together, stay strong attitude & a healthy suspicion about anything too good to be true.  And I felt like I was protecting myself.

But I was like that little snail.  Living in a shell - I felt safe but some what lonely & boring.

Breaking out of my shell

My shell was broken by two very special people.  Mr B & Bailey.

Mr B teased me out of my shell, showed me a safe life outside.  He showed me that people don't need to retreat into a shell & that I could be happy if I just took a chance & let him into my little world.  I tried many times to push him away, to go back to my hard life, as I was sure sadness would catch up on me.  I was scared I would be sad again so why wait to be forced back into my shell.  I tested him to be sure he wanted little old me with the hard exterior.

No longer a snail

In opening my eyes to a new life outside my shell - he broke it.

By breaking my shell, the life I had felt safe in, the life I hated but knew so well was shattered.

I had to decide - to stay a snail & try put it the shell back together again & hide away for the rest of my life.

Or to change & grow into something else.

Bailey then came into my life & opened my eyes to new paths, new walks & a new way of life.

Lesson learned

So going back to that quote

You cannot protect yourself from sadness
Without protecting yourself from Happiness

Remember you have to be open to living your life - make choices, move in the direction you want to go in.  Don't let fear hold you back or stop you from experiencing happiness